Fort Worth Boy Recovering After Brush With Bull Shark

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) – Three weeks ago, a Fort Worth boy was attacked by a bull shark off the South Texas coast. Today, 12-year old Nicholas Vossler is back home, but perhaps unfazed by the traumatic brush .

Pulling into to the driveway of his West Fort Worth home marks the end of a harrowing journey for Nicholas that began more than 360 miles away. The courageous pre-teen bears the battle scars he endured off the shores of Port O’Connor.

“We were swimming in about 3-feet of water,” Nicholas said.

It was during his swim in familiar waters in Sunday Beach where Nicholas came face-to-face with a five foot long bull shark.

“I lifted my foot up and a shark came around and bit my foot. I shook my foot to get it off. I looked down and it swam off when I fell,” he said. “I looked down, and the skin was gone and I could see my artery.”

Friends of the Vossler family jumped in to help Nicholas, using t-shirts to bind his severely bitten foot.

“That was our scarriest point – he had lost so much blood, he was pale and was fixin to go,” Nicholas’ father, Cecil Vossler said. “I just told him, ‘you can’t go – you have to stay with us.'”

Nicholas was rushed to Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, where he underwent six painful surgeries to re-attach his foot. Doctors even used skin grafs and muscle from his forearm for the reconstructive surgery.

“Yeah, I think about it sometimes, but it’s reality,” Nicholas said. “It happened and you can’t take it back.”

Back in the comforts of his home, Nicholas remains focused on recovery and is looking forward to the day he can get back in the water and back to playing baseball.

Nicholas grew up fishing and hunting – even catching black fin sharks. Doctors say it’ll take a few months of recovery and rehabilitation before Nicholas is able to get back on his feet.